April, 2017: Describe your walk by adding a comment below
Each time you go out and make observations for this project, describe your walk by adding a comment to this post. Include the date, distance walked, and categories that you used for this walk.
Suggested format:
Date. Place. Distance walked today. Total distance for this project.
Categories.
Brief description of the area, what you saw, what you learned, who was with you, or any other details you care to share.
Comments
April 1, 2017. Hollister Hill Rd, Marshfield, Vermont. 2.4 miles today. 92.4 miles total.
Categories: lichens, invertebrates, bark, buds, round, simple leaves, sedges, white, blue, prickly
Regular Saturday morning hike with friends. We had planned to hike in the Stranahan Town Forest, but we couldn't summon the energy to don our snowshoes and break trail. So we walked along the road instead. Found some of everything, except for sedges, which just weren't happening today.
April 1, 2017. Dock Watch Hollow, Warren, NJ. 1.5 miles today, 21 miles total.
Categories: flowers, fruit, bark, green in winter, lichen, moss
I spent 4 hours touring a college with my 18-year-old daughter, then the afternoon walking along a brook with my 10-year-old. Now I just want to sit in a recliner for the rest of the evening! We found a deer skeleton, a cool tree (maple maybe) that had long since been strangled by a bittersweet vine, a yew that was flowering, and finally figured out that our neighbor's pretty shrub is a flowering quince. My daughter's a joy to hike with, as every little thing is "the most amazing thing ever!" a good reminder.
April 2, 2017. Sodom Pond Road, Adamant, Vermont. 2 miles today. 94.4 miles total.
Categories: leaves, grasses, white, vine, people in the photo, trees, evergreen, landscape, buds
Leisurely stroll along scenic Sodom Pond this morning. I couldn't make up my mind whether I was birding or botanizing, so I did a little of both. I saw a mystery sparrow in a bush--either an American tree sparrow or fox sparrow. I'll let the experts make the call. Grasses were tough today!
4-2-17. Washington Valley Park, Bridgewater, NJ. 1 mile today, 22 miles total.
Categories: green in winter, bark, buds
Sunset walk to a scenic overlook and dam with family and friends. I'm much worse with pictures when I'm not alone, never taking time to focus, rushing along and missing things. I was keeping my eye out for some round lobed hepatica I'd seen near here years ago, but I think I'm still a bit early.
4-3-17. Crowell Park, Middlesex; Irishtown, Day, Pond, and Columbus Parks, Piscataway; and Columbia Park, Dunellen, NJ. 1.25 miles today, 23.25 miles total.
Categories: weeds, bark, fruit, flowers, lichen, vines, birds
I noticed a big area near me had no observations on iNat, so I drove to 6 different parks in the area to see what there was to see. These are all suburban parks, mostly mowed grass and shade trees. Probably the only surprises were a great blue heron, silver cinquefoil, and some turtles, though I hadn't realized that whitlow grass was still blooming, and I saw my first henbit in bloom in NJ this year. So many things look like they'll be opening in the next week, and I can't wait.
4/3/17. Montpelier, Vermont. 2.7 miles today, 97.1 miles total.
Categories: vertebrates, lichens, graminoids, galls, white, ferns, trash in the photo, fruit, blue, bryophytes
A walk through the east end of Montpelier today. I started off in a quiet residential area and was thoroughly amazed at the lack of diversity. Since I live in the sticks, I guess I forget how absolutely controlled a residential environment can be. Especially this time of year when the weeds aren't even growing yet. I found a few lawn mosses to poke at, and chased some birds. Then I began exploring the legendary Sabin's Pasture, a privately owned huge plot of land that town residents have appropriated as a park. Since it's not an official park, it's not regulated or patrolled. Still a lot of snow on the ground there and I wasn't wearing the right footwear, so I didn't go far. I found quite a collection of invasives, and some interesting native plants as well. I hope to return once the snow melts and things begin to grow.
4/4/17. Snow Hill Road, East Montpelier. 3 miles today, 100.1 miles total.
Categories: graminoids, ferns, vertebrates, toxic, signs, lichens, things that begin with j, vines, phenology, trees
Took a hike along farm fields today on the aptly named Snow Hill Road in East Montpelier. Great birding in the corn fields: crows, song sparrows, robins, house sparrows, grackles, Canada geese, mallards. Probably some tree sparrows as well, but I couldn't tell them from the song sparrows by sight without binoculars or my good camera. (It was raining today, so I was using my underwater camera.) I was never aware before how important agricultural fields must be as refueling stops for migrating birds. Unfortunately, so many of the agricultural fields are soaked in glyphosate. What a terrible situation for the birds!
4-4-17. Washington Rock Park, Green Brook, NJ. 0.25 miles today, 23.5 miles total.
Categories: flowering, green in winter, bark, lichen, moss, buds
Washington is supposed to have stood here to check out the British on the plains below, but he wouldn't have seen much today, and the heavens opened only minutes after I got back to my car. I found lots of tiny white things blooming: Whitlow grass, bittercress, shepherd's purse, and what might be mouse-ear cress, though I'm not certain.
Congratulations on making it 100 miles!
4-5-17. Duke Farms, Hillsborough, NJ. 0.75 miles today, 24.25 miles total.
Categories: spring flowers, lichen, insects, buds
I was at an invasive species seminar at the spectacular Duke Farms today and walked a tiny bit of the property during the lunch break. I found my first spring beauty of the year, a new Scilla (to me) and two rusts, and there were insects! At the conference I learned that all species of ash will likely be wiped out from my area within 10 years. We've already lost 80 percent of our hemlocks, just in the 20 years I've lived here. And I never saw the chestnuts. On the plus side I now know how to ID emerald ash borer, and Hydrilla.
4/5/17. Pekin Brook Road, Calais Vermont. 3.4 miles today, 103.5 miles total.
Categories: blooms, non-native plants, bryophytes, graminoids, round, fungus, yellow, alternate leaves, compound leaves, signs
Still stuck at home due to impassable roads, although I did make a sighting of the elusive yellow road grader today. Blooms continue to be a challenge here--the only white thing blooming so far is pussy willows. I decided to call a batch of willow galls blooms because they were so eye-catching. It's beginning to sound like spring here, with song sparrows and robins. I saw my first phoebe of the season today. And mallards everywhere, even though there are no ponds, just muddy roads and flooded fields.
4-6-17. Washington Valley Park, Martinsville, NJ. 0.25 miles today, 24.5 miles total
Categories: green in winter, bark, buds, lichen
Just as I was about to go for a nice, long walk, the school called; my 8th grader's counselor wanting to discuss her poor performance in social studies. There went that plan. So I snuck out right before dinner and did a quick little stroll in the pouring rain. Not much to see. I was trying out a new app for spotting invasive species, but my phone's camera is frustrating and doesn't do well in low light, and the app was irritating as well. Nevertheless I got a few sightings in.
4/6/17. Northfield, Vermont. 3.6 miles today, 107.1 miles total.
Categories: grasses, non-native plants, opposite leaves, bark, evergreen, signs, trash, phenology, blue, bloom
Took a speed walk in the pouring rain through downtown Northfield. Plenty of trash to photograph, but I guess I forgot that category. There is knotweed everywhere in Northfield. I wonder how much arrived with Hurricane Irene when much of the town was flooded, and how much was there beforehand. I remember seeing lots of knotweed along the river banks south of town before the storm, and noting that the banks with knotweed seemed to hold up better in the storm. I don't know if the knotweed provided any protection against erosion, or if it just couldn't get started on soft banks anyway. I discovered a neglected cemetery on the edge of town with the most incredible collection of cemetery mosses ever, and plenty of lichens as well. I must return there on a bryophyte day.
4/7/17. Coburn Road, East Montpelier, Vermont. 3.2 miles today, 109.3 miles total.
Categories: Round, galls, simple leaves, alternate leaves, signs, compound leaves, fungus, things that being with “j”, trees, grasses
Coburn Road is a scenic road dominated by box elder and staghorn sumac that runs along a river. A bit different than my usual wood walks, and it even has a covered bridge. I had a fun time with galls today, and did some birding as well. And I FINALLY got something for my things that begin with "j" category. So next time, I can move on to "k", at last.
4-8-17 Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA. 0.25 miles today, 24.75 miles total.
Category: lawn weeds
Touring yet another college with my daughter. Didn't take much time to focus well while hiking back to our car. She decided this one is not for her, so we're down to only 5. We leave today (the 9th) for Maryland for spring break; hopefully I'll get some longer walks in there.
4-9-17, East Montpelier Vermont. Another small walk with wife and 1 year old baby. 2.4 miles... total of 5 miles for this project... not too bad considering we were carrying a baby over irregular slick snow. The snow was abundant in East Montpelier Town Forest and still very deep, but the air was warm. A beautiful day. We walked through the town forest and across a field and back through country roads. Added more from the road part of the walk because i've already inatted East Montpelier Town Forest to death. The goal was just to see something new, and that was successful, I found a Violet Toothed Polypore which i have not observed in Vermont before. Later at home I found a likely wolf's milk slime mold on a stump by the fire pit... a new life species for me, oddly enough. Not added to this project because i wasn't really out walking.
also i thought knotweed had shalow roots and did a bad job of reducing erosion @erikamitchell . but maybe that isn't true. interesting. will keep an eye open. Also I thought i saw a phoebe at our house today but i am not great at birds and wasn't sure (no photo). Is that the bird that perches and wiggles its tail then flies up to catch insects?
@srall which invasive app were you using? I helped test Whats Invasive back in the day. It works pretty well but i stopped doing it because i can just add them to inaturalist instead and more people will see them. I primarily use the app for iNat and in my case it works great. Others prefer camera + gps. Only thing i can't do is get most birds because the iphone zoom is no good.
4-8-17. Old West Church Road VAST Trails, Calais, Vermont. 2 miles today, 111.3 miles total.
Categories: prickly, trash in the photo, domestic animal in the photo, bark, signs, blue, invertebrates, bryophytes, grasses, trees
Saturday morning hike with friends along the VAST trail that I walked a few weeks ago. We took a slightly different route at the intersection, so at least part of the trail was new. We paused to admire some mosses and caterpillars along the way.
4-9-17 Center Road, East Montpelier, Vermont. 2.4 miles today. 113.7 miles total.
Categories: Evergreen, bloom, galls, simple leaves, blue, fruit, graminoids, fungus, fern, leaves
Beautiful sunny hike along the road in East Montpelier. I'm holding off on going into the woods (except on VAST trails) until the snow melts and there is a chance of finding flowers. Found what appears to be a gall in the umbrel of a Queen Anne's lace. Actually, I found several, but only photographed one. No luck with an ID, though.
4-9-17 Fallston, MD. 0.5 miles today, 25.25 miles total
Categories: things that are not up yet at home
Arrived at my husband's aunt's horse farm in Maryland, which is about a week ahead of us in bloom times. I took a walk before dinner to catch all the little field weeds that are blooming there, especially those that hadn't opened at home yet.
@charlie I was using the NJ Invasives app, which is really a portion of the Eddmaps site.
4-10-17 Goucher College, Towson, MD. 0.25 miles today, 25.5 miles total
Categories: lawn weeds, flowering, buds, lichen, insects
Touring yet another college with my daughter. Took a walk while she was observing a class. It was nearly 70 degrees, and the paper wasps were out everywhere, scraping wood off the old wooden benches, presumably for nest material.
4-11-17 Fort McHenry National Park, Baltimore, MD. 1.25 miles today, 26.75 miles total.
Categories: blooming, lawn weeds, insects, birds
I've been traveling to Maryland several times a year for over 25 years now, but had never made it to Ft. McHenry and the Star Spangled Banner monument before. It was a beautiful sunny day, and I was glad for sunblock and wishing for shorts. Lots of interesting white flowers, all of which my daughter insisted were "snow lilies" but were actually snow-in-summer and a huge glory-of-the-snow, so she was not far off. I wish I'd brought my long lens, as there were lots of interesting water birds that I fear are going to just turn out to be blurry specks when I finally get all the photos uploaded and cropped.
4-12-17 no walk today, 26.75 miles total.
Drove home from Maryland and the packing, unpacking and time got away from me.
4-13-17 Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ. 1.5 miles today, 28.25 miles total.
Categories: blooming, wild, weird.
Took two of my daughters and two friends to my favorite sculpture park. I've never gone through there so quickly. It was hard to get them to stop long enough to take any pictures, so few were taken. About a dozen new (to me) statues and a funky fritillary were my favorite parts. When I went to Google Earth to check the mileage, I found they took their picture almost exactly a year ago, and all the same trees were flowering as are flowering now. Neat.
4-14-17 Somerset County Park, Martinsville, NJ. 0.5 miles today, 28.75 miles total.
Categories: blooming, weeds, lichen, fruit
Didn't get it together to walk before I started my volunteer shift with the rescue squad, so walked in the tiny county park next to the squad building. There were a few interesting bugs that had been attracted to the lights that are on all night (and not yet eaten by the resident spiders), the first blooming garlic mustard of the year (not that I'm all that excited about that one), and an ash in bloom, which I guess I won't be seeing nearly so much of in a decade or so.
4-10-17. George Road, Calais, Vermont, 2.3 miles today, 116 miles total.
Categories: Simple leaves, toxic, prickly, sedges, phenology, lichens, faces, compound leaves, trees, white
Squeezed in a quick walk while my mother was visiting. I only had an hour, so I just walked from my house. I hoped to make it a little further, but there was just too much to see. Found my first marsh marigold leaves today.
4-11-17. Redstone, Montpelier, Vermont, 0.5 miles today, 116.5 miles total.
Categories: Edible, faces, graminoids, galls, round, yellow, leaves, phenology, grasses, landscapes
Short little jaunt with members of the Montpelier Senior Center (Walks with Harris) and my mother. Harris brought us to a part of Montpelier I had never seen before (in 20 years of living here!) and showed us a waterfall in the woods just a few blocks from the center of town. I had to snap and go in order to keep up with the group, so the categories mostly fell by the wayside today. The snow drops and crocus in the deep woods were a little odd, but I guess the property must have cultivated grounds at some point in the past.
4-12-17. Foster Road Loop, East Montpelier, Vermont. 3.4 miles today, 119.9 miles total.
Categories: Red, opposite, galls, lichens, grasses, alternate, non-native plant, bark, faces, graminoids, birds, fungi
Found the other end of an unpublished trail in East Montpelier, so I actually got to do a loop today instead of an out-and-back. The trail was marked "No motorized vehicles," but didn't have any no trespassing signs, so I took that as an invitation. Mid-way through the trail was a vernal pool filled with calling wood frogs. Another thrill today was the birds--I think I saw a green-winged teal on a tiny farm pond (we'll wait for the experts to call that one!). Other sights were a blue-gray gnatcatcher and a ruby-crowned kinglet, the first of the year for me. Great time for walking!
4-13-17. Downer State Forest, Norwich, Vermont. 3 miles today, 122.9 miles total.
Categories: Red, fruit, lichens, fungus, blue, grasses, graminoids, round, toxic, phenology, bryophytes, ferns
Took a pleasant stroll through Downer State Forest this afternoon after dropping my mother off at the bus station in Hanover, NH. Good time to visit this state forest--there appears to be a lot of logging going on, but not now because the roads are too muddy for anything but foot traffic. I heard a few birds today, but didn't get to see any. I guess they're shy in the forest. Plenty of ferns, lichens, and bryophytes now that some of the snow is gone. Saw my first beaked hazelnut in bloom today!
4-15-17. Washington Valley Park, Martinsville, NJ. 1.0 miles today, 29.75 miles total.
Categories: spring flowers, lichen, trees, ferns, leafing out, invertebrates.
I walked in low woods that I've never thought were very interesting but found bloodroot, wood anemone, trout lily, spring beauty, lesser celandine, and spicebush all blooming, and a horsetail in fruit (spores, whatever). The last time I walked this trail was last year when I got a call that my mother was desperately ill (she's fine now, turned out to be spinal infection). It's felt jinxed ever since, so it was nice to have nothing go wrong this time.
4-16-17. Sandy Hook Nat'l Rec. Area, Highland, NJ. 1.0 miles today, 30.75 miles total
Categories: lawn weeds, blooming, shrubs, vines, trees
I took two of my girls for a walk from the lighthouse through some old battlements and out into the inter-dune woods on Sandy Hook. We then climbed the lighthouse (100 steps) and the girls tried to talk me into the nude beach (I declined). I found prickly pear, a really pretty herb Robert, a yellow mustard I haven't IDed yet, and this tree that was just breaking bud and had me totally baffled until I finally realized it was hackberry.
4-14-17. Valley Lake Road, Woodbury, Vermont. 3 miles today, 125.9 miles total.
Categories: non-native, fruits, trash in the photo, landscape, galls, blooms, evergreen, simple leaves, phenology, bryophytes, invertebrates, lichens, graminoids, fungi, ferns
Now that the weather is finally warming up, I'm having trouble keeping up with my photo processing. So I'm a few days behind. Thursday I took a walk down a pleasant road in Woodbury, Vermont. It was covered with beer cans, which got me thinking about how to try to convince rednecks to become decent people. I also chased bryophytes and birds. Good thing you didn't take a camera onto the nude beach--that's frowned upon!
4-15-17. Stranahan Forest, Marshfield, Vermont. 2.4 miles today, 128.3 miles total.
Categories: blue, trash in the photo, trees, alternate leaves, fruit, bryophyte, vine, graminoids, things that begin with "k", faces, fungi, mammals, phenology, ferns, invertebrates
Saturday morning hike with friends today. I guess I went overboard with the bryophytes--26 specimens! My friends are incredibly patient. OK--no more bryophytes on Saturday mornings. Except, my bryophyte mentor is in the Saturday morning group, so we just can't help getting excited about the little things. We had fun with "k" today, and faces.
4-17-17. Chimney Rock Park, Martinsville, NJ. 0.5 miles today, 31.25 miles total.
Categories: Blooming, leafing out
Only had a little time so I went to hike where the very best spring wildflowers are. I've never seen more than two other cars in the little parking area here, this time there were 8 and I had to wait for someone to leave just so I could park. This is also one of the best mountain biking parks around and I wonder how many flowers those bikers even notice. Though they can't miss the entire floodplain carpeted in lesser celandine. So very pretty, if horribly invasive. Two years ago I first found Dutchman's Breeches here, though I've walked this park for over 20 years. Now every April I make certain to go back and find it again.
I'm still two days behind on the pictures, but figured I'd better get the walk description in while it's still fresh in my mind. Hard to sit in front of a computer when the weather is so lovely (and life's so busy).
4-18-17. Municipal Park, Warren, NJ. 0.75 miles today. 32 miles total
Categories: blooming, leafing out, insects
Walked along a pond which is located between the county golf course and the town dump. And yet I found out today that it was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, go figure. I found a lot of insects under the loose bark of a recently fallen tree, and a number of bees by the trout lilies. I also found ash in bloom. I thought they cut down all the box elder here, too, but I found one blooming, back in the bushes.
4-16-17. Downtown Adamant, Vermont. 0.4 miles today. 128.7 miles total.
Categories: Trees, fungus, white, round, toxic, blue, opposite, simple, leaves, vertebrate, landscape
I meandered along the northern shore of Sodom Pond and the southern shore of Adamant Pond. Unfortunately, I had a nasty head cold, so my brain wasn't fully engaging. I skipped most of the categories and mainly looked for birds and bryophytes. I saw a few new birds for the season--a pair of common mergansers and a northern flicker, but not as many as I thought I would see. Plenty of liverworts, though. I've decided to sign up for a liverworts seminar at Eagle Hill Institute this summer, so I think there will be a lot of liverworts in my future. I need to practice my macro photography skills!
4-18-17 -in Southern California - walked 4.5 miles in several sections working around baby's needs and an unexpected rain shower (rainy season usually mostly done by now). Total of 9.5 miles on project. Will add observations later. On iPad now and that's annoying. Anyway the goal was highest species list possible for city nature challenge and got over 100 species. Probably the most ever for me in one day. Helps that California is very diverse especially with lots still blooming.
4-17-17. Berlin Mall parking lot, Berlin, Vermont. 2.7 miles today, 131.4 miles total.
Categories: Signs, invertebrates, leaves, prickly, faces, opposite leaves, evergreen, ferns, vines
Went out for a walk in the wasteland behind the mall while my car was being worked on. Great fun discovering the species that manage to co-exist with Walmart. Found a dead raven. And slowly came to the realization that the mall complex was built on a huge wetlands that is simply the continuation of the magnificent Berlin Pond, one of the top local birding hotspots.
Yeah it used to be a big conifer swamp :(
4-19-17. Warren, NJ. 0.25 miles today, 32.25 miles total
Categories: new flowers, new leaves
I spent the day waiting for a phone call (which never came, of course) and then nagging reluctant children to do homework, so at dusk I finally just took a quarter mile meander through the yard, checking out everything that's just emerged.
I list categories here, but usually what I'm actually doing is trying to find all the species I can identify plus some others that ought to be identifiable (even if I don't know what they are). But having lists reminds me to do things like actually look at moss and lichens or that I can ID a lot of trees even if I can't get to their branches.
In early winter I walked behind a local Walmart which was a retaining pond and then a wetlands with interesting species and lots of birds. I thought you weren't allowed to develop wetlands! Then again, the Walmart closest to me is on a hillside, and the hill back of their parking lot consistently has the best fall color of any location I've found in central New Jersey.
Depends on the state but in many cases they can buy their way to a permit with mitigation.
4-20-17 Big Bend Lake Park, Cranford, NJ. 0.75 miles today, 33 miles total.
Categories: blooming, newly emerged, insects, birds
I happened upon this park on the way home from an appointment. I had never heard of it before, but it was a pretty, if overgrown, pond right on the edge of the Garden State Parkway. They must have just stocked the river next to it; there were several people out fishing. Not a break in the clouds while I was there, but now I'm home it's all bright and sunny. Go figure.
4-18-17 Cross Vermont Trail, East Montpelier, Vermont. 2.3 miles today, 134.7 miles total.
Categories: galls, ferns, blue, blooms, opposite leaves, mosses, fungi, simple leaves, liverworts, phenology, prickly, non-native, favorite plants, yellow, vines, birds, invertebrates
I've driven past this trail for 20 years and never stopped before to check it out. So glad I did! This project is providing me with some great motivation to see some new territory. This rail-to-trail goes through some interesting forest, but then ends all too soon at a giant washout with an understated little warning sign that reads "Caution. Severe washouts on the trail ahead." On the way back I followed a VAST trail section that led to the thickest birding I have ever witnessed. Clouds of dark-eyed juncos, with ruby-crowns and white-throated sparrows and who knows what else mixed in. Found a hepatica in bloom--the first spring ephemeral of the year for me.
4-21-17 Eastfields Park, Martinsville, NJ. 0.5 miles today, 33.5 miles total
Categories: yellow (5), red (3), white (2), blooming (11), fruits (10), fungi (3), lichen (8), sedges (3), vines (3), shrubs (5), trees (6), animals (2), Aster family (4), Legume family (3), Buttercup family (1), Maples (2), Mustards (3), Rose family (5), plantain family (2)
I snuck a quick walk in between putting kids on buses (and rain) and squad duty. Just as I got back to the car a call came in, and here I was with soaking wet shoes. Oh well.
They've closed the parking area for this little bit of park, I think because people were dumping trash. But there's one little spot just big enough for a car across the street, and that's were I parked.
4-19-17 Fletcher Quarry Road, Woodbury, VT. 3.4 miles today, 138.1 miles total.
Categories: mosses, liverworts, fungi, galls, ferns, birds, invertebrates, vertebrates, blooms, fruit, landscape, things that begin with "L"
I decided to change my way of selecting categories again. I'm having too much fun hunting mosses and galls. So I think I'll go with a list of everyday categories for a while, augmented with 3 random categories from the big list. We'll see how that goes. No luck with Ls today though--I'll have to study in advance in case that one comes up again. Today I parked at the Woodbury Post Office again and hiked up the hill to Fletcher Quarry Road. I guess I ended up on Quarry Road proper, and never saw where it turned off of Fletcher Quarry Road. I got a bit nervous when a huge long line of pick-up trucks came barreling down this dirt road in the middle of nowhere--11 of them! Then I figured out it was a working quarry and the shift must have gotten off for the day. Got me thinking about the peer pressure the quarry workers must have about driving pick-up trucks, since every one of them was in a pick-up. Or maybe they like driving them, and there's no peer pressure. In any case, the road was extremely scenic, with magical moss-covered boulders and deep forest on upper side of the road, and hard woods on the lower side. Unfortunately, the road is too remote--people are using it for a dump site. Raining today, so I had to make do with my underwater camera.
4-20-17. Eagle Ledge Rd, Worcester, VT. 3.1 miles today, 141.2 miles total.
Categories: mosses, liverworts, fungi, galls, ferns, birds, invertebrates, vertebrates, blooms, featured invasives, favorite plants, white, evergreen, grasses
Families? That sounds like a new set of categories worth trying--thanks!
Today's walk down a quiet country road showed me a side of Vermont I didn't know existed, and so very close to home. Trailers, tiny cabins, double wides, each with its own private junk pile spilling out into the road and the adjacent woods. I've seen a few such properties here and there in Calais, but never an entire neighborhood like this. The level of poverty is simply staggering. And on each front porch, an American flag. The experience gives me a new perspective on all that I see that I like in Vermont, from organic foods to solar panels to state parks and hiking trails...so very bourgeois. Eagle Ledge Road runs between a steep mountain and a wetlands. Plenty of squished amphibians on the road...an amphibian corridor for sure. But something tells me folks on this road would not welcome an amphibian rescue team. My walk ended at a sign that said "No motorized vehicles", and a large wetlands, possible bog. I would like to return to see if there are bog plants, and to continue the walk after the road turns into trail.
one other thing i forgot to mention about the Berlin Mall... there are Vermont Wetland Rules which do a good job of protecting wetlands in the state, thouh sometimes they still don't get saved... but the mall was built before that... at that time there wasn't much of any protection.
And yeah the rural poverty in Vermont can be pretty staggering and awful :( and people in conservation really do need to keep it in mind and try to help address those issues as well. It's really hard.
4-21-17. Center Road, East Montpelier, VT. 3 miles today, 144.2 miles total.
Categories: Sedges, red, lichens, & the usual (mosses, liverworts, fungi, galls, ferns, birds, invertebrates, vertebrates, blooms, featured invasives, favorite plants)
Headed out Center Road today to explore a wetlands that has always had me curious. It turned out to be a good-sized little pond in a boreal forest filled with mosses and old logging roads. If it weren't raining so hard at the time, I'd probably still be there counting mosses. Found a large patch of poison ivy as well.
that pond always looked neat and kinda boggy
4-22-17. Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Long Hill and Harding Twps., NJ. 1.5 miles today, 41 miles total.
Categories: Colors, blooming, lichens, monocots, shrubs, trees, rose family, aster family, legumes, buttercups
i walked in the drizzle on an old road, and then separately on a system of boardwalks through a swamp. I figured out what Amelanchier looks like with leaves just opening, when there are no flowers. I got totally thrown by a witch hazel that was just unfurling its leaves, until I finally focused on the flower remains. There were tons of dwarf ginseng, the first I've seen this year, and wild oats; a new one for me. And I walked back up the access road to look at a yellow flower I'd spotted from the car only to find out it was just golden ragword, but the first of that this year for me as well. When I got home I found out my 20 year old son had also gone for a walk up the old swamp road about an hour after I was there. We should have gone together (except that he is massively faster than me and has no patience for the photography).
4-23-17. White Lake, Sand Pond, Millbrook Village, and Vancampens Brook, Hardwick and Walpack, NJ. 2.0 miles today, 43 miles total
Categories: blooming, trees, shrubs, lichen, families with more than one species, colors.
I went for a drive up the Kittatinny Ridge through part of the Delaware Water Gap Park, and stopped at several locations to walk and take pictures while my daughter was volunteering giving tours of the camp where she will be a counselor this summer. At White Lake there were amazing numbers of wildflowers including the broad-leaved variety of early buttercup, and miterwort (and none of my pictures showed the flowers clearly), both of which I'd not seen in the wild before. At Sand Pond were rhododendron thickets (which I rarely see), sheep laurel (new for me) and both american and striped wintergreen (both rare for me). At Millbrook I found little bluets (yay), chocolate vine, and I caught the sugar maples blooming where I could reach the flowers. At Vancampens Brook were pitch pine, Amalanchier, sweet birch, and sassafras all blooming and a very vigorously mating pair of fireflies, of all things. What a wonderful day!
4-23-17, we walked 2.5 miles today, total of 12 miles, just around town, a beautiful day. some non-native species blooming, haven't found any blooming natives yet.
4-22-17. Emslie Road, Calais, VT. 2 miles. Then Stranahan Town Forest, Marshfield, VT. 1.9 miles. 148.1 miles total.
Categories: Simple leaves, graminoids, sedges, & the usual (mosses, liverworts, fungi, galls, ferns, birds, invertebrates, vertebrates, blooms, featured invasives, favorite plants)
Saturday morning hike in the rain with friends up Emslie Road in Calais. Great conditions for mossing, although I tried to keep my enthusiasm in check this week. The road was quite scenic with a cascade and pond. And the company was great! In the afternoon, I went out with my moss mentor to look for mosses in the beaver dams of the Stranahan Forest. So today's observations were quite heavy on mosses. I'm making progress with IDs, though, slowly learning how to distinguish features.
4-23-17. Wetland and woods behind Adamant Music School, Adamant, Vermont. 1.1 miles today, 149.2 miles total.
Categories: Roots, evergreen, blue, & the usual (mosses, liverworts, fungi, galls, ferns, birds, invertebrates, vertebrates, blooms, featured invasives, favorite plants)
Beautiful Sunday stroll in brilliant sunshine through the Adamant woods. Found both spring beauty and downy yellow violet in bloom--spring is definitely here at last (despite the lingering snow piles). I also found a few more mosses. And the head of the stream that feeds the wetlands and swamp, that feeds Sodom Pond.
4-24-17. Calais Town Forest, Pekin Brook Rd, Calais, Vermont. 1.4 miles today, 150.6 miles total.
Categories: red, simple leaves, opposite leaves & mosses, liverworts, fungi, galls, ferns, birds, invertebrates, vertebrates, blooms, featured invasives, favorite plants
I've always been curious about this little patch of green on the local road maps, so I went exploring today. It turns out this patch of town forest is on a steep hillside, perhaps a 60-70% grade. I found a bit of a trail or old logging road from the parking lot of the Calais Town Clerk's office and followed that up. It was steep, but climbable. After poking around a bit on the top of the hill, I zigzagged on the way down, trying to estimate the bounds of the town forest. The slope was so steep it was hard to stay vertical myself for the descent. And rocky. Not prime farmland. Not a lot of diversity on the forest floor--yet. Mostly just dried beech leaves. But at least the snow is 99.5% gone.
you are finding all kinds of neat places
4-24-17 Bridgewater Library, Prince Rogers Park, Washington Valley Park, Bridgewater, NJ. 1.0 miles today. 44 miles total.
Categories: pink 3, yellow 10, purple 4, white 15, native herbs 20, native shrubs 6, native trees 10, stage 1 invasive 1, stage 2 invasive 1, stage 3 invasive 1. lichen 4, Plantaginaceae 6, Fabaceae 6, Asteraceae 14, Rubiaceae 3, Oleaceae 3, Brassicaceae 6, Caryophyllaceae 3, Polygonaceae 4, Rosaceae 8, Ranunculaceae 4, Adoxaceae 3, Sapindaceae 4.
I'm having fun with plant families, though I have to do it mostly once I get home, as I can't quite keep all of them in my head. In addition to these 12 families with at least 3 species each, there were 8 more where I found two species. The stages of invasive are from the NJ Invasive Species Strike Team. I think their statistics on relative abundance are a little out of whack, so I'm trying to document them when I can.
The library has a catch basin beside it with an impressive number of plants for so manicured a place. I found jagged chickweed, which I think I've seen before and just overlooked, but never actually IDed before. Prince Rogers is a junky parking lot next to an interstate and through a bit of wood to ball fields. Lots of invasive species there, including what may be cut-leaved teasel. Washington Valley on the other hand is the closest "old" park to me. I went over after dinner as everyone's homework was actually done. Lots of spring wildflowers including a big patch of ramps and long-spurred violet which I've never noticed before.
Glad to hear spring has even made it to northern Vermont. We haven't passed our average last frost here, but it sure feels like we have. I'm glad to be doing this project this year; I've gotten out in the spring weather far more than I usually manage to.
4-25-17. East Montpelier, Vermont. 2.5 miles today, 152.9 miles total.
Categories: trees, compound leaves, opposite leaves, mosses, fungi, galls, ferns, birds, invertebrates, blooms, invasives
I planned to hike Power Plant Rd today along the Winooski River, but the road was thoroughly posted as private property. For Plan B, I went up the hill to Brazier Rd. I wasn't very far along Brazier Rd when I got distracted by some marsh marigold and went down into the wetlands for a closer look. Then I noticed a blue flag blazing a new-ish trail, and a no trespassing sign that had been torn down. A welcome mat! The blue blazed trail headed into the deep woods, then met up with a network of well maintained trails. Perhaps mountain bike trails? I kept turning right at intersections and eventually came out on Brazier Rd again. Where I came out was marked no trespassing, but I came from the back side of the sign, so what did I know? No daphne in the woods, but plenty along the road. These trails look they will be a riot of spring ephemerals in a week or two.
How does the invasive species rating system work? It sound interesting!
4-25-17. Washington Valley Park, Martinsville, NJ 0.5 miles today. 44.5 miles total
Categories: blooming, woody, newly emerged
Raining all day so I squeezed in a quick walk before lunch. I found a towee, though the picture was not good. There were more ramps here, and sassafras was blooming everywhere.
The invasive species rating system is based on number of reports and estimated numbers of individuals. Stage 0 is present nearby but not yet recorded in NJ, or reported in the state less than 10 times. Stage 1 is found in 10 to 100 locations. Stage 2 is 100 to 500 locations, Stage 3 is 500 to 1000, and Widespread is over 1000 locations. It's a little more subjective than that, but that's the official rating system. The group is here: http://www.njisst.org/index.asp
4-26-17. Mountain Park, Bernards Twp., NJ 0.5 miles today, 45 miles total
Categories: blooming, newly emerged
Another grey and damp day, so I got a quick walk in in the early afternoon. Probably the most interesting items were a bayberry leafing out and a huge patch of field horsetail, with fertile stalks.
4-26-17. Vermont State House and environs, Montpelier, Vermont. 3.5 miles today, 156.4 miles total
Categories: signs, alternate leaves, grasses. & fungi, birds, lichens, mosses, invasives, blooms, ferns
Evening walk through downtown Montpelier while my husband attended a meeting. Sampled the mosses, wild blooms and invasives from the Statehouse grounds. The deep woods come right up to the back of the building, and I saw 2 deer about 200' from the building. And lots and lots of robins. I ended my walk at what must be one of the world's smallest park, the Elm St pocket park, all of 50 sq feet. The only plant I could find to photograph there was a dandelion.
It sounds like you could really make an impact on the records for invasive plants. Set them straight!
4-27-17. Back Woods. Calais, Vermont. 1.1 miles today, 157.5 miles total.
Categories: blue, compound leaves, grasses & ferns, blooms,
Set out through the back woods this afternoon to check on the leatherwood, to see if it was in bloom. When I left the house, my ankles were sore. I found the leatherwood in full bloom, but once I had satisfied my curiosity, I got hit hard by a virus. Flu? I had to struggle to get home again. And then while I was sitting at home, I felt something crawling under my shirt. Sure enough, a deer tick. And I was wearing long pants, long socks, a sweatshirt, and a hat. Time to to get out the bug clothes. And wonder whether this is simply flu, or something worse. Anyway, the leatherwood was magnificent, and I also discovered some maidenhair spleenwort and perhaps some Braun's holly fern. Hope I can get out again tomorrow!
oh no. feel better. i haven't seen any ticks yet, time tos tart checking. ugh...
4-27-17, Montpelier and Barre, Vt, 1 mile today, total of 13 miles. (Decided i will not include field work for my job in this project.)
Inspired by Erika's poking about the Berlin hospital, i did a half hour mini bioblitz around Berlin Street during lunch break at a work training I was at. Found mostly common weeds and such, but got 33 species, not bad! Including 'Biting stonecrop' apparently, which was a life list species for me. Weird. Walked maybe a half mile at the most.
Then after dinner we went on a walk to a nearby area so i could check on a possible population of lesser celandine, an invasive species that is a big problem to the south. Sure enough it appears to be present on Towne Hill road and spreading from the tiny patch lats year that i took too long to verify ID. Not sure what to do about it, but not good.
the 1 mile is probably generous but oh well.
4-27-17. Brightwood Park, Westfield, NJ. 0.5 miles today, 45.5 miles total
Categories: blooming, newly emerged, trees, shrubs, vines, animals
Walked around a pond in a wooded, suburban park. Found wild sarsaparilla and beeches that were blooming where I could reach the flowers. Beautiful spring day, if a bit cloudy.
Hearing about searching out lesser celandine made me smile; I can't picture a floodplain anywhere near here that is not completely carpeted in the yellow and green of lesser celandine at this time of year. Even ones that are mowed have a lot mixed in with the grass. Horribly invasive, but really very pretty.
Erin, sorry to hear you're not feeling well; I hope it's a quick one.
4-28-17. Coddington Farm, Warren, NJ. 0.25 miles today, 45.75 miles total
Categories: blooming, newly emerged
It was very foggy early in the morning but it had mostly cleared before I walked. Once again I was squeezing in a walk before going on duty, once again I soaked my sneakers, and once again I got a call as soon as my duty started (this time for a very minor car crash). But the fog made the spiderwebs beautifully visible, and I found lots of bowl and doily spiders and a nice orb web. Also found my first Jack in the pulpit this year, some flowering black walnut, and some "real" hops (as opposed to the extremely common Japanese hops).
stupid lesser celandine, there is NO PERSON AT THE STATE who specifically does early response of invasive plants. I'm at a loss. I do wetland monitoring but it isn't in a wetland now so i can't stretch that and as it's in my neighborhood me getting involved from a work standpoint would be weird anyway.
I dunno. It would be an easy problem if fixed now. Hope the community pulls together to do so
NJ's state invasive plant response team is not government run or sponsored and grew out of a local preserve, soon incorporated the (ridiculously well-funded) Duke estate, and just now added in another county-wide, private conservation group. They are privately funded, understaffed, and have a massively smaller area to cover than VT, and they are really not all that effective. But at least there's someone to call.
maybe we can make trump come pull the weeds. Though i wouldn't prefer him being so near our home
4-28-17. Grainger Rd, Berlin VT and Main St, Barre, VT. 2.1 miles today, 159.6 miles total.
Categories: signs, opposite leaves, vines & lichens, ferns, invertebrates, blooms, mosses
With both cars in the shop, I walked from the doctor's office this morning (yes, I have Lyme disease) to the hospital to catch a bus to Barre. And then from the bus stop to the mechanic's to pick up the car. 2 of the less scenic roads in the area. Still, there was plenty to see along the way, especially with eyes wide open for the day's categories: blooms and opposite leaves, especially.
The Lyme disease really has me re-thinking my woods walks. It seems lying belly down on the leaf litter in April in the deep woods is not a good idea, no matter how pretty the blooms are. I love being out in the woods, but if I stick to the roads, I probably won't pick up any ticks.
Lesser celandine in Vermont? I wouldn't know it -- except now that I get to see Sara's photos every day, I am learning a new rogue's gallery!
ughhhh :( Did you get it this year? I have been out a bit and still haven't seen any deer ticks this year. field season is starting so i have to be extra careful. I'm lucky I haven't gotten it yet ...
Given all the time I spend in the woods, it was only a matter of time before I got it. I've been careful to wear long pants and long sleeves, but I guess that's not enough. Not if you're going to be lying belly down on dried leaves to get a good look at a flower. Or wandering through overgrown raspberry bushes. The doc said his vet has seen lots of Lyme with dogs already this year. And lots of reports of ticks and bites on FB over the past week. Time to get out the permethrin clothing, cover up, and avoid leaf litter. My issue seems to be the acute form (thank goodness!), so I definitely got bit within the last month.
yeah, with field work i do sit down on the ground, though not usually on my belly and many of the wetlands i am in are not super tick filled. Still very important for me to watch out for it. Both tick bites and Lyme symptoms. Feel better!
4-29-17. Peck Hill Rd, Calais, Vermont. 0.5 miles today. 160.1 miles total.
Categories: signs, simple leaves, vines & mosses, blooms, lichens, birds, invasives
Slow meander through the neighborhood this evening. Found Dutchman's breeches and red trillium in blooms for the first time this season. And box elder in full pom-pom. Delightful! I'm trying to get used to the new rules of the game--don't step off the road unless appropriately dressed in full bug gear.
What a bummer. Can't you go on the bigger trails too? I don't always understand how ticks work, i don't usually have problem with them even though i always am dragging around through bushes and stuff. Maybe I smell bad to them. The only exception is in other places... when i was in MA i got a bunch of deer ticks on me including one that bit me and required antibiotics. and i found a bunch in NH too. Probably just luck. Need to be careful too.
Anyway... walk up from North Branch to the little old growth hemlock patch, 3.1 miles, so 16.1 total. Was mostly looking for spring ephemerals, since I've i-natted most everything else on that trail. Found a patch of trout lily, several trilliums including one blooming one,round-leaved violet, and that same carex we were just talking about. Also some coltsfoot. Beautiful day. We put Holly in that external frame carrier, she loved it as she could look around more. (during cold days we put her in the soft carrier that snuggles her close so she doesn't get cold). She gets so excited about being on a hike she kicks her feet in the carrier :)
4-29-17 Colonial Park, Franklin Twp., NJ. 0.75 miles today. 46.5 miles total
Categories: emerging, flowering, insects, unusual species
I walked from an arboretum to a "wild" section of old canal towpath and back along a rose garden to the arboretum again. I found my first cuckooflower of the year, several insects, and caught a ginkgo blooming. There was a wedding going on in the rose garden.
4-30-17 Pleasant Valley Park, Lyons, NJ. 0.75 miles today. 47.25 miles total.
Categories: blooming, emerging, as many species as possible
I took my daughter to the park and she wanted to see if there was a spot where she could walk along the brook. This resulted in about as much mud as you would expect, but we had fun. I found the first strict forget me not that I was able to photograph (I keep seeing it when I don't have my camera), and what I'm fairly certain is water hemlock (I'm not great with it early in the season). But otherwise this was a basic mowed lawn, disturbed woods, weedy kind of park.
We've pretty much all had Lyme disease here. I remember the bulls eye on at least two of my children, but none was severe at all. Though the vet suspects our old golden retriever had it pretty badly. They say the ticks will be bad this year, but so far I've been tick free. Two years ago, though, I was travelling for 3 days with just my 11-year old, and got a big dog tick in my hair at the back of my head. I ended up having to get her (poor thing) to pull it off for me. She's hated them ever since.
at least the dog ticks don't carry lyme, supposedly.
I still haven't gotten it, despite doing field work my whole life. It seems inevitable and i know so many people who have. hopefully diligence and luck continue.
5-1-17. Buck Gardens, Far Hills, NJ. 1.0 mile today, 48.25 miles total.
Categories: blooming, labeled and not blogged before, growing wild, insects
I had a lovely May Day stroll through this, the closest "real" public garden to my house. The sky was overcast but the flowers were everywhere and beautiful. I found so many things, but my favorite (and most unexpected) was a pair of the biggest morel mushrooms I've ever seen (at least I think they were morels). Never mind that it's a county park and a garden, I was still amazed no one had picked them!
4/30/17. Rail-to-Trail, Marshfield, VT: 1.5 miles today, 161.6 miles total.
Categories: yellow, prickly, landscapes & mosses, liverworts, ferns, blooms, birds, lichens, fungi
Donned my bug gear and took a slow stroll down a rail-to-trail section between Plainfield and Marshfield. I got distracted by boulders and found myself far off the trail. But I didn't sit down in the leaf litter! I also took a detour around a beaver pond. And stopped to chat with a neighbor who was out exercising her dog.
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